When a food safety inspector walked into a market in Queens, he noticed the store had an interesting special posted on its front window: 12 beefy armadillos. In Brooklyn, inspectors found 15 pounds of iguana meat at a West Indian market and 200 pounds of cow lungs for sale at another market. At a West African grocery in Manhattan, the store was selling smoked rodent meat from a refrigerated display case. An inspector quickly seized a couple pounds of it.

All of it was headed for the dinner table. All of it was also illegal.

Authorities say the discoveries are part of a larger trend in which markets across New York are buying meat and other foods from unregulated sources and selling them to an immigrant population accustomed to more exotic fare.

State regulators have responded by stepping up enforcement, confiscating 65 percent more food through September than they did in all of 2005.

The seizures also cast a spotlight on the eating habits of this ethnically diverse city, where everything from turtles and fish paste to frogs and duck feet make their way onto people's plates.

"At one time or another, we've probably seen about everything," said Joseph Corby, director of the state's Division of Food Safety and Inspection.

In an attempt to stamp out the activity, Corby's agency has ramped up efforts, working with the Food and Drug Administration, to prevent this illicit food from reaching store shelves.

Authorities say the discoveries are part of a larger trend in which markets across New York are buying meat and other foods from unregulated sources and selling them to an immigrant population accustomed to more exotic fare.

Yeah. I have mixed feelings about it, however; at one time, markets in Spain used to have to sell skinned rabbits with the ears on - because otherwise, there was no way of telling them from skinned cats. Dar gato por liebre (offering cat as rabbit), in fact, is a Spanish saying.

So I wouldn't say I'm totally opposed to food inspection, but on the other hand, of course these people are going to have to get their rodents, armadillos, etc. outside of the normal meat suppliers. Silly interference.

Actually, these exotic meats pose a significant problem to our domestic food chain. Everything from African swine fever and Foot and Mouth disease can be transmitted from foreign meats that are not from approved and reputable sources. Armadillos carry Leprosy, rats...lassa fever and a myriad of togaviruses, reptiles...parasites that will kill humans if eaten even slightly uncooked.

Truth in advertising is important and if a poor soul buys lizard meat and instead gets buzzard, which is against his religious beliefs to ingest, obviously the government needs to step in and protect the poor shmuck from hell and damnation. Personally, I find USDA choice salamander quite a delicacy (it must be a young salamader). <sarc obviously.

Monkey jerky coming to a supermarket near you! I live in a small town and can't imagine going to my local meat market or grocery and finding all these things. Is there no escape from these third-world folks? FDA to fix laws so it is legal or what???

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